Article of furniture



.Filed Nov. 2a, 1955.

Aug. 27, 1957 v J,'BAU M' 2,804,122

' ARTICLE OF FURNITURE s Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 61-2072 J 54m ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 27, 1957 J BAUM 2,804,122

ARTICLE OF FURNITURE INVENTOR 'eorye J 5mm Filid NOV. 28, 1955 G. J. BAUM ARTICLE OF FURNITURE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 'eprye J 5% United States Patent ARTICLE OF FURNITURE George J. Baum, Phoenixville, Pa. Application November 28,1955, Serial-No. 549,328

8 Claims. (Cl.'155-'43) This invention relates to an article of furniture, and more specifically an article of furniture which in one position is especially adapted to be used as a table or the like.

A purpose of the invention is .to provide a'table 'of improved convenience and utility.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide an article of furniture which in one position has a'tray or other table surface supported at av convenient level for use and in another position has such tray or other table surface away at a lower level, out of sight and use in the interior thereof.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a com.- bination table and footstool of special utility when, used in front of a chair.

A further purpose is to provide a footstoolwhich is comparatively light andsimple in construction, yet which can with the utmost case be converted. into a light table adapted to hold food at a suitable position for eating by one sitting in the chair in front of which the footstool has been located.

Other purposes will appear from the remainder of the specification, and the claims.

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of my invention in perspective in open position, with the table-top member available for use.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of it in this same. position.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the devicein this same position, the section being taken alongthe' lines 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal section of the device in closed position adapted for use as a footstool, the section being taken alongthe same line as with Figure 3, but with the device in different position.

Figure 5 is a view mainly in cross section of ,thedevice in closed position, the view being taken along the lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the table-top member and panel-like supporting member forming part of the device, shown independently of the rest of the device to bring out their individual structure.

The article of furniture of my invention has four legs 10, and supported on these legs a box-like structure. 11 having four sides, 12, 14, 16 and 18 respectively, rectangularly arranged, and a rectangular top 20, but no bottom. The top 20 has plate member 22, padding 24 on top of it and cover 26 over the padding, .the whole having rounded edges. Whenin closed position as shown in Figure 4 the general appearance of the article of furniture is that of an ottoman or footstool, and the device as a whole is capable of being so used.

However, as shown for example in Figure 3, the top is not solidly attached to all the sides, but merely rests on them, being pivotally attached by hinges 28 to side 16.

Pivotally mounted in the interior of the box-like structure 11 is panel-like member'fatl; More specifically, it pivots around a line inthe lower part of thebox-like 2,804,122 Patented Aug. 27, 1957 structure, near the end opposite that where hinges 28 are, the actual pivots being shown at 32 and 34.

This panel-like member, instead. of being more or less of solid wood as shown, can for example be some other kind of broad structural member, such as an open crisscross metal structure with side members, for example.

Jointed arms 40 and 42 are pivoted in the lower part of box-like structure 11 near the side 16 to which the top is hinged, and. preferably about an inch above the level of the line of pivot of member 30. Specifically, 40 is pivoted at 44 in side 18 and 42 at a corresponding point 45 in side 14. Jointed arm40-ismade up of bottom piece 48, intermediate piece 50 pivoted theerto at 52 and pivoted to the panel-like member 30 at 54, and top piece 56- pivoted to theintermediate piece at 58; Jointedarm 42 is of similar construction on the opposite side.

Flat, tray-like table-top member 70 is pivotally mounted on' the topof panel-like member 30 toward one end of tabletop-member 70, and more specifically at 72 by means ofbracket 74,and at 76'by means of bracket 78. Bracket 80, also on the underneath side of table-top member 70, toward the middle at one side of that member, has a slot 82 which receives pivot pin 84 at the top end of top piece 56. There is a. corresponding bracket, pivot and slot at a corresponding point in the middle of the opposite side of table-top member 70 cooperating with the corresponding place in arm 42, the bracket and slot in this other case being shown respectively as 86 and 88 in Figure 6.,

Brackets and 86 are more or less T-shaped in cross section In the open position of my device, the wings 91 and 92, on the outer side of the tops of the respective Ts, respectively are on their underside against, and thus co-operate with, top end 94 of jointed arm 40 and the corresponding top end (not shown) of arm 42, which ends are mostly straight across at an oblique angle suitable for such cooperation.

At the end of table-top member 70 away from the end where panel-like piece 30 supports it, is handle 89. Side 14 of the box-like structure 11 is rabbeted at 90 toform a shelf to seat one edge of table-top member 70 in its lower position, and there is a corresponding shelf in side 18.

As will be seen from Figures 3 and 4, the device has two alternating positions for use. In one, the open position, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, panel-like member 30 and jointed arms 40 and 42 extend outside of the box-like structure, with the table-top member 79 above and extending out Well beyond side 12 of the box-like structure. In this position the table-top member is well adapted to hold food, writing materials or practically anything else which might normally be put on a small table, and will hold it over the knees or upper legs of someone sitting on that side facing the device, and thus serve as a table for him.

It will be noted that in this position, the top 20 of the box-like structure will be in a sloping, partly open position with its end resting on the end of the table-top member. The panel-like member 30 will be nearly vertical, supporting the table-top member at one end of the tabletop member, and the jointed arms 40 and 42 will be stretched out nearly straight but bowed somewhat at their joints in the same direction to give the jointed arms as a whole somewhat the appearance of being concave upwardly. The pin 84 of jointed arm 40 is at the far end of slot 82 and the corresponding pivot pin (not shown) of jointed arm 42 is at the far end of slot 88. The oblique top ends, such as 94, of the jointed arms will be flush against the undersides of the respective outer wings 91 and 92 of brackets 80 and 86.

When. it is desired to change the position of the tabletop, the table-top must be lifted, as by the handle 89, thus'tcnding to swing pivot 58'away from the direction,

in which it is bent, and thus tending further to bend pivot 52. Along with the lifting of the table-top member, there will be a certain amount of movement toward the box-like structure. Because of the device must be lifted from open position in order to start the process toward closed position, the device is quite stable as far as its normal downward load is concerned.

Once pivot 58 (and of course the corresponding pivot in the other jointed arm) is completely unbent, continuation of the movement in the general direction of the box structure will cause 58 (and its companion) to bend in the opposite direction, until the movement is completed and the other position of my device is reached.

This other position for use of my device, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, is one in which the jointed arms are folded more or less together and the table-top member 70 is down within the box-like structure 11, whose top is down.

In this position, the structure used for the table element I or relieved, as at 98, in order to prevent binding at the start of this operation. It will be noted that in the closed position, pin 84 is at the opposite end 100 of slot 82 from the pin position in open position. The slot, to serve this function is preferably about long, in one of my devices of ordinary size, which is a size in which the box-like structure has about the size of an ordinary ottoman, and the table-top member in open position would be just high enough to fit over the top of the knees of most people in sitting position, with a reasonable clearance. The brackets slot can be longer in the direction of closed position, if desired, but in the direction the pin assumes in open position, the slot in the bracket should end precisely at the position the pin assumes in the open position of the table-top member 70, to serve to fix that position.

We thus have in this device, a piece of furniture which can very comfortably and conveniently be used on the one hand for a foot stool, as for example for a person sitting in an easy chair watching television, and on the other hand for a table, for the same person in the same chair, if he should desire for example to eat something while watching the same television. it would be equally useful on any other occasion when need for a footstool or small table would occur. The device is readily convertible, and means that you can have in your living room, stored away in a very small space,

in an attractive and useful form as a foot stool, a very convenient table for tea, snacks, meals or other things.

If desired, the device could be made proportionately larger, so that the table-top member would furnish a table on the level ordinarily used for ofiice work, with office chairs, and could be used for that purpose.

In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual whim or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain all or part of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such insofar as they fall Within the reasonable spirit and scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A movable table set-up comprising a base, a unitary rigid arm having a pivot at one end of the arm which pivot is mounted on the base, a jointed arm having three pieces in series, said jointed arm having a pivot at one end of the arm which pivot is mounted on the base and the intermediate piece of said jointed arm being pivoted Needless to say,

I at anintermediate point on said piece to an intermediate point on the unitary arm, and a table top member pivotally mounted on the opposite end of each arm.

2. A combination footstool and table comprising four legs, a hollow structure having four sides supported on the legs, a top hinged on the upper part of a first one of the said sides to open exposing the interior of the structure, a fiat structural member pivotally mounted on the inside of the hollow structure below and toward the opopsite side of the structure from where the top is hinged, two three-part jointed arms each pivotally mounted at one of their ends on the inside of the hollow structure below and toward the same side of the hollow structure as where the top is hinged and each having the center part pivoted to the fiat structural member, and a table-top portion pivotally mounted on the ends of the fiat structural member and of the three-part arms which ends are away from their mounting on the hollow structure.

3. An article of furniture comprising a hollow structure having four sides and a hinged top, a straight rigid arm pivoted at its lower end in the lower part of the interior of the structure toward one side thereof, a three-piece jointed arm having a bottom piece pivoted at its lower end in the lower part of the interior of the structure toward the opposite side thereof, an intermediate piece pivoted at its lower end to the upper end of the bottom piece and at an intermediate point to an intermediate point on the rigid arm, and a top piece pivoted at its lower end to the upper end of the intermediate piece, and a flat member mounted toward one end on a pivot at the upper end of the rigid arm and toward the middle on a pivot at the upper end of the top piece sliding in a slot in the flat member.

4. An article of furniture comprising a box-shaped structure having four sides and a hinged top, a rigid structure pivotally mounted at its bottom end on the inside of the box toward one side of the box, a three-section arm pivotally mounted at its bottom end on the inside of the box toward the opposite side of the box and having its intermediate section pivoted to the rigid structure, and 'a table-top member mounted toward one end on a pivot at the top end of the rigid structure and mounted toward the middle by means of a slot and pivot combination on the top end of the three-section arm, the ends of the slot in relation to the pivot respectively defining two limiting stable positions of the table-top member, rigid structure and linkage.

5. An article of furniture comprising a box-shaped structure having four sides and a top hinged at a first side of the structure, two arms, each of three pieces jointed together, pivotally mounted respectively near the same end of the two sides adjacent the first side of the structure, a third arm mounted near the opposite ends of these same sides and extending across between them, this third arm being unitary, and the midpiece of the jointed arm on each side being pivoted to the third arm on that side, a flat piece mounted on the ends of the arms away from their mountings on the box-like structure, said arms having one position in which the flat piece is under the hinged top within the box structure and another position in which the fiat piece extends horizontally in a position above and at least partly beyond the box structure.

6. A combination footstool and light table comprising a structure of four sides arranged in a rectangle, four legs each supporting a different corner thereof, a top hinged along the top of a first of the sides to open when desired, a panel hinged in the interior of the structure near the bottom of a second of the sides opposite to the first to swing along a range from a position entirely in the interior to a position extending nearly vertically up out of the interior, a pair of bottom arms pivoted in the interior of the structure near the bottom of the first side, one toward one end thereof and the other toward the other to swing in a plane parallel to the third and fourth sides, a pair of intermediate arms each having its bottom end pivoting to the top end of a different one of the bottom arms and each pivoted intermediately to a different side edge of the panel, a pair of top arms each having its bottom end pivoting to the top end of a different one of the intermediate arms, and a table top pivoting at one end to the panel and having brackets in intermediate positions on each side of said table top, said brackets having horizontal slots, in each of which slots the top of a different one of the top arms pivots, the panel, arms and table top having one extreme position in which they are completely within the interior of the structure and an opposite extreme position in which the table top is completely outside said interior and in position to be over the knees of someone sitting wth the front of his legs against the second of the sides.

7. A combination footstool and table comprising four legs, a structure of four sides mounted thereon in boxshaped formation, a stool top hingedly mounted on one of the sides, a central unitary integrally rigid arm mounted on the structure to pivot on a line of pivots going from side to side of the interior thereof parallel to the hinge line of the stool top but toward the other side of said interior and in the lower part thereof, two jointed side arms each made up of a bottom side arm piece pivotally mounted underneath the hinge line of the stool top, respectively near opposite ends of said hinge line, an intermediate side arm piece pivotally mounted at the bottom on the free end of the bottom piece and intermediately pivoted respectively to opposite sides of the integrally rigid arm, and a top side arm piece having a bottom end pivotally mounted on the top end of the intermediate piece, and a table top pivotally mounted on the top end of the unitary arm and by a sliding pivot on the top ends of the top pieces and having an outermost position in which all the pivots between pieces have their least angle on the side of the jointed arm toward the hinge line of the stool top, and an innermost position in which the least angle of the pivot between top and intermediate pieces is on the side of the jointed arm away from said hinge line.

8. A convertible piece of furniture comprising a hollow footstool structure having a top hinged to open, a unitarily rigid member pivoted at its bottom to the inside of that structure, two jointed arms each having three parts serially jointed to each other, each jointed arm pivoted at its bottom to the inside of that structure at a point removed from the point at which the rigid member is pivoted and each jointed arm pivoted at an intermediate point on the intermediate part to an intermediate point on the rigid member, a table-top member supported on the rigid member toward the top of said member and supported by a horizontally slidable pivot toward the top of each of the jointed arms, the said rigid member, arms and table-top member having a position in which the jointed arms are inclined upwardly in the one direction, the table-top member is above and at least partly to one side of the footstool structure in the direction toward which the jointed arms are inclined, and the joints of the jointedarms are all bent so as to present their least angle on the side which is uppermost, and the top ends of the topmost parts of the said arms having a flat surface at an oblique angle to the axis of said part which flat surface is away from the footstool structure relative to a line through the sliding pivot perpendicular to the table-top member when the table-top member and arms are in said position, and mates against a surface on the under side of the table-top member when the table-top member and arms are in said position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 151,983 Guertin Dec. 7, 1948 1,837,826 Mitchell et al Dec. 22, 1931 1,838,856 Mitchell et a1. Dec. 29, 1931 1,920,171 Gerstner Aug. 1, 1933 2,575,573 Wiedman Nov. 20, 1951 2,582,703 Kirshbaum Jan. 15, 1952 2,675,862 Eichorst Apr. 20, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 238,309 Switzerland July 15, 1945 

